A city of tropical heat, sweat, ramshackle beauty, and its very own cadence—a city that always surprises—Havana is brought to pulsing life by New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky. Like all great cities, Havana has a rich history that informs the vibrant place it is today — from the native Taino to Columbus's landing, from Cuba's status as a U.S. protectorate to Batista's dictatorship and Castro's revolution. Havana is a place of extremes: a beautifully restored colonial city whose cobblestone streets pass through areas that have not been painted or repaired since long before the revolution. "This extremely readable book is not preachy, not dogmatic, not shrill. As in life, there is a mixture of both good and evil, and Kurlansky, a frequent Cuba correspondent, covers it well." - Library Journal. "Kurlansky reaches back 500 years to track the city's evolving history, separating out the different strands—Spanish, African, American, Russian; political, social, musical, culinary—that slowly steeped to create Havana's piquant blend of static defiance." - New York Times, Book dimensions: 5.30 x 7.60 x 1.10 inches